


Only

by Bubblegumlocks



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Gen, Slight zutara - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-01
Updated: 2014-11-01
Packaged: 2018-02-23 11:36:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2546129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubblegumlocks/pseuds/Bubblegumlocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written in 2010, for my birthday.  Katara thinks about her relationship and visits an old friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only

Working to put the world back together again wasn’t as simple as defeating Ozai. It took patience and strength and cooperation and time.

Lots and lots of time.

Katara sighed heavily, closing her eyes as she moved through her forms. The water was pleasantly chill, up to her thighs. She could feel tiny fish swim around her, as if they were curious about what she was doing. With her eyes closed she could picture the world as it ought to be by now, clean and calm like the waters she stood in. With her eyes closed she could hear the peace in the world by listening to the happy chatter of critters in the nearby forest. With her eyes closed…

She sighed again and lowered her arms slowly, as if any sudden movement would shatter everything. She inhaled and again slowly, ever so slowly, opened her eyes.

In time to see Aang on his air scooter, stirring up sound and pebbles in his haste to get to her. She became instantly alert, checking the expression on his face as she rode a wave to reach him faster.

“Katara! Katara!”

He wasn’t angry, or scared, or worried. He looked jubilant and Katara stopped suddenly, the wave splashing her already drenched tunic.

“Aang?” She watched him with increasingly narrowed eyes as he chattered away, happily describing something new and exciting to him.

To _him_. She was tired of it. Nothing in the Earth Kingdom was new and exciting to her anymore, except maybe Kyoshi Island. Especially in the summer, when she could visit Sokka and Suki and their son. She smiled softly thinking of the island. Aang mistook her expression for him and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

She struggled slightly, enough to put her hands on his chest and push. Aang was taller than her now, not much, but enough for him to bend his neck to reach her lips for a kiss. He reached for her hands and held them, pulling her resisting posture into one he could control.

She pushed against him again, as best as she could. She could hear voices coming and had always hated public display. They were both blushing as they looked towards the voices. An older man hailed Aang and Katara took the distraction for what it was, sidestepping Aang to return to the water.

~*~

Later, when all were asleep and the moon lit Katara’s window, she crept out of bed, careful not to disturb anything in the room. The moon, _Yue_ , strengthened her and her resolve. She turned to look at her before quickly packing her essentials and leaving.

She refilled her bag with fresh water, and took a last glimpse around. She squared her shoulders, took stock of her surroundings and pushed away, into the forest, far away.

~*~

She could smell fire before she could see it. It made her think of that first year, finding Aang and then their journey, and many, many campfires. This fire smell was different, less familiar, and more like the end of their journey before much hard work and a fledgling relationship.

Fire Nation.

She made camp for the night, and pulled a wrinkled worn scroll from her bag. She smoothed it out and read it again by the light of the stars. It was the last letter she had received from Zuko, Fire Lord. One sentence was devoted to the difficulties he was facing as the new Fire Lord. The rest was about the palace and Uncle Iroh, and there at the end, was an open invitation, to visit, to stay, to…

The letter was over a year old. Over two years old. She hoped the offer still stood because she would reach the palace in a few days time.

~*~

Katara walked swiftly and quietly through the palace grounds. The guards had recognized her and let her in without question, despite the fact that the last time they had seen her, she was brandishing a water whip. She made her way to the main building, past more guards that made no comment. She avoided windows and found where she would rest to compose herself.

There was a turtleduck family waiting in the pond, as they had for many years, hoping for scraps. She smiled ruefully for she had none, and sat at the shore of the pond to watch them play. The sun was high in the sky and she felt her skin tingle from the heat. It was a pleasant change.

She heard footsteps, then a swift intake of breath. She didn’t turn around.

“Ka-- Katara?”

She adjusted her position but said nothing.

The voice came closer and cast a shadow on her shoulders. She didn’t flinch when a warm and surprisingly familiar hand touched her.

“You are real.” It wasn’t a question.

She still had no answer.

The Fire Lord sat beside her, memories of the pond overlapping reality with her. He sat close enough that they almost touched and their shadows intermingled.

He waited with her in silence until the sun had almost disappeared from the sky. He didn’t move or say anything when a soft hand reached for his and entwined their fingers. Still silence and the sun was gone.

As always, drawing her strength from the moon, _no twinge for Sokka this time_ , she finally spoke, in words almost too soft to hear.

“I’ve missed you.”

Zuko squeezed her fingers in reply, hearing all the things she wanted to say but couldn’t, knowing that she was here, with him, in spite of everything she’d faced the last five years. He smiled into the darkness, a smile of hope and realization, as she rested her head on his shoulder.


End file.
